Heston's Tagliata with Rocket & Parmesan Salad

The entire universe knows I am a massive fan of Waitrose and could probably bore for England and the USA combined about their virtues. Their fresh produce is impeccable, customer service unfailingly spot on and the whole shopping experience is superb. I am also a fan of Heston Blumenthal - OK, some of the more out there ideas leave me hiding behind the sofa, peeking at the TV (just like Dr Who used to when I was a kid - hmmm, now THERE'S an idea...) but I love his passion for perfection even if I'd probably rather chew glass than eat some of the results. Have to admit though, last Christmas I was one of the dissapointed many who trawled any Waitrose within reach trying to find a Heston's christmas pudding.

My husband is a massive, unashamed Heston fan though and the Fat Duck is probably top of his list of places he'd really like to eat. So moved was he, one Saturday he decided to make 'Heston's Chips' to go with lunch. Problem was he only went to start them at lunchtime so by the time they'd been cooked and cooled three times (well, cooled twice) lunch was served around 7pm. But the chips were amazing. And he did make the Heston's Banana Eton Mess last summer again, truly outstanding.

A year or so ago the Waitrose Recipe Collection started doing recipes by Heston and Delia Smith. Nice idea, pick up the recipes in store, buy the ingredients then go home and enjoy. I have many of these cards, but must admit I have made few of them yet. Until last week. I found myself watching a TV ad for Waitrose that featured this Heston recipe and found mysef dribbling in an unseemly manner. I thus resolved to gather the card and ingredients to try it, and oh my dear, dear reader - adjectives fail me. I can only say if you try nothing else, you MUST try this. The only thing I would take issue with is the fact that it says it serves 4. Not a chance. Two of us cleared the lot.


Heston's Tagliata with Rocket & Parmesan Salad
Serves 4


INGREDIENTS

Olive oil for cooking the steaks
2 essential Waitrose British Beef Steaks (I used rump as I think it's more flavourful, approx 300g each)
120 ml 100% Extra Virgin Olive Oil
100g of thinly sliced chestnut mushrooms (OK, this is NOT in the original recipe so you can ignore this if you wish but I love mushrooms)
3 garlic cloves
4-6 sprigs of rosemary
2 strips of lemon peel (use a potato peeler to peel 2 shallow strips from an unwaxed lemon)
Juice of 1 lemon
Table salt, sea salt and freshly ground black pepper for seasoning
To serve:
60 g Waitrose Wild Rocket
40 g Ferrari Parmigiano Reggiano Fresh Flakes

METHOD

1. Heat a heavy-bottomed frying pan over a high heat, then add 2mm of olive oil and heat until it is smoking hot. It is vital that the pan is extremely hot before adding the steaks.
2. Remove the steaks from the fridge. Season them with a little salt and place them in the smoking-hot pan for 15-20 seconds. Then turn the steaks over and fry for a further 15-20 seconds. Repeat this, turning the steaks for 2½ minutes.
3. Remove from the pan and allow to rest on a cake rack set over a plate to catch the juices.
4. Pop the sliced mushrooms into the pan and cook until beginning to brown
5. Remove mushrooms and place onto kitchen towel and pat to remove any remaining oil.
6. Remove the pan from the heat and discard most of the used oil (but don’t clean the pan).
7. Allow the pan to cool for 2 minutes, then add the 100% Italian olive oil to the pan.
8. Bash the garlic with the palm of your hand or the side of a knife and add it to the oil.
9. Add 4-6 rosemary sprigs.
10. Rub the strips of lemon zest between your finger and thumb to release the oils and add them to the pan, too.
11. Allow to infuse for 5 minutes while the meat is resting, then squeeze in the lemon juice.
12. Strain the dressing through a sieve and add any juices that have come from the steak.
13. Slice the steaks thinly (0.5cm wide) with a sharp knife.
14. Season with table salt and black pepper and place on the serving dish.
15. Place mushrooms over steaks.
16. Spoon over half the dressing.
17. Season the rocket leaves with salt and mix with the remaining dressing.
18. Place the rocket leaves on the beef and finish with the Parmesan flakes and a sprinkling of sea salt crystals.
19. Serve with Heston from Waitrose Horseradish Sauce.

Copyright © Heston Blumenthal 2010

I served this with freshly baked bread and it was truly amazingly scrummy. The steak was pink and succulent (if you don't like rare steak add to the frying time), the dressing was tart and flavourful and the horseradish sauce was creamy and light - I would warn you to be careful of the salt as you are adding it in four different places. Next time, and oh yes there will be a next time, I will probably not add the table salt to the rocket leaves, just the sprinkling of sea salt crystals.

My admiration of Heston remains undimmed, but I do wonder where he hides that sonic screwdriver...

Useful tip: If you don't live near a Waitrose all of the recipes from the cards can be found at Waitrose.com

Cornflake cakes

To borrow a phrase from a friend, 'When I was a nipper'... our local bakery used to sell chocolate cornflake cakes, one of my favourite weekend treats. They used to make them in triangular moulds which was considered very exotic by all and you could nibble off each cornflake - making it last for the longest time.

And of course, over years I have churned out many, many with varying levels of assistance from generations of borrowed children (of all ages). I also have a couple of variations on the theme and to be honest have developed a more grown up version with sultanas and flaked almonds (and a dash of booze).

I haven't made any for some years and and they have faded from my conciousness but I was recently in a one of a chain of coffee shops (who will remain nameless in case they want to sue once they've read this) and having seen cornflake cakes on the counter decided to have one with my afternoon cappuccino (yes, I KNOW you're only supposed to have the frothy one at breakfast but I like it and do not care. I have always been a rebel).

It was appalling. Disgusting. Revolting. It had obviously been made in a large batch, the cornflakes had been smashed up, there was waaaay to much sugar and the whole thing resembled concrete. I had to break into it with a knife - thus endangering anyone within range of the ensuing brown missiles. Peeved does not come close. A childhood memory trampled to dust by commercial imperatives.

Listen here Costa, (oops, that gave the game away) - some things are too important to be exploited.

Having seethed for a week or so at this insult to childhood innocence, (Overly dramatic? Moi?), I decided to get down to business and make a batch of my own. So here is my recipe for my slightly more grown up version.

TIP: DO NOT scrimp on cheap chocolate or cornflakes. It can only disappoint. This is one instance when only good stuff will do.

Cornflake Cakes
makes 12 little ones, 6 grown up ones.

INGREDIENTS
150g Green & Black's plain chocolate
25g butter
50g Kelloggs cornflakes
20g sultanas
20g flaked toasted almonds
2 tablespoons golden syrup
50ml double cream
shot of liquer - Tia Maria (coffee flavour) or Drambuie (orange)

METHOD

1. Melt chocolate and butter (either in a bowl over simmering water, or in a microwave)
2. Stir in golden syrup, cream and liquer
3. When thoroughly blended stir in cornflakes, sultanas and almonds
4. Make sure that everything is thoroughly coated
5. Spoon into paper cases and pop into fridge to chill

You can also add small marshmallows or chopped cherrys if you wish but this is my favourite version. Ya boo sucks. Oh dear, I seem to have reverted to childhood...

Swedish Meatballs

OK, I detest shopping in IKEA. Well, not entirely true. What I detest are the people. So many people. All cramming into the space I wish to occupy. Who are they and why are they following me around the darned shop?

But the biggest lure is the cafe. In particular, the swedish meatballs. Yum. Now don't get me wrong, I don't hold with mixing jam and savoury, SO not my thing which means that whoever is with me gets my lingonberry jam with my blessing.

But back to the meatballs - you can buy them frozen, rush them home and put the ones you are not going to use into the freezer. But where's the fun in that? So here's a great recipe for Swedish Meatballs.


Swedish Meatballs
Serves 4

INGREDIENTS
meatballs
300g minced pork
300g minced beef
1 minced medium onion
100ml milk
75g dried breadcrumbs
rosemary (finely chopped)
sage(finely chopped)
1 teaspoon dried mustard
salt (pinch)
pepper (pinch)
2 tablespoons olive oil

Sauce
200ml beef stock
400ml double cream
salt (pinch)
pepper (pinch)
1 tablespoon of salted butter
cornflour
Sugar (pinch)


METHOD

1. Put everything (except the oil) into a large mixing bowl and mix - alternatively use a food processor.
2. Mix well until blended
3. Make into 20 meatballs - either use a larger melon baller or you can roll with your hands. If using hands, keep bowl of warm water to hand and keep hands moist which will prevent sticking.
4. Heat oil in large pan
5. When oil is hot place meatballs into plan and fry until brown and cooked through - remember half is pork and should be thoroughly cooked.
6. Shake pan gently during cooking to ensure the meatballs are done on all sides.
7. Remove meatballs and keep warm
8. Deglace the frying pan with a little water and add the stock
9. Reduce by a third
10. Add the butter and a pinch of sugar.
11. Whisk until dissolved completely and reduce by about a third again.
12. Thicken with cornflour to taste.
13. Taste and season with salt and white pepper.
14. Add meatballs to the sauce, or serve them separately.

To complete the IKEA-at-home experience, serve with french fries and lingonberry jam (or give the jam to somebody else - I know I will). Meatballs with no crowds. Bliss.

SPECIAL NOTE: If you don't have fresh beef stock, bottled stock is more than acceptable, or stock cubes. DO NOT use Oxo in the recipe. It contains more than just stock.

Danny's Slow Roast Belly of Pork to Die For

Actually this should be renamed 'to Kill For'. Absolutely not kidding. I don't know who Danny is but this evening he is my hero. I found this way of doing belly of pork on http://www.cottagesmallholder.com/ - go there NOW and check it out. If their other recipes are anywhere near as good you will not be disappointed.

But back to the pork.

Pork belly is a cheap cut (as far as any meat is cheap these days!) and to be honest I normally get mine from a farm shop near my parents, just outside New Milton (Danestream if you're in the neighbourhood on Sway Road - http://www.danestreamfarmshop.co.uk/). The staff are friendly and no matter how busy are always willing to help and advise. Not cheap but I'd rather have a smaller piece of great meat than lots of tasteless, chewy grey stuff on my plate.

I have purchased and cooked many a pork belly from them - rub garlic and salt into the scored skin, pop onto a roasting rack on Gas Mark 5 for an hour and a half (approx 1 kilo in weight) with potatoes beneath the rack. Crisp up potatoes and crackling at the end and voila.

Now this has not always served me well with supermarket meat, still tasty but has been a bit tough from time to time. And this week, for reason too complicated to go into, the only shop I could get to was a Lidl.

Anyone who knows me will, at this point, be rolling around on the floor clutching their cramping gizzards because dear reader, and here is my guilty secret, I am a famous meat snob. It is a story for another time but it is the truth.

My normal behaviour would be to serve a mushroom omelette for Sunday lunch but those pork joints did look remarkable nice and were on special offer. So I bought one. I was certain, however, that my normal method was Not Going To Do so spent a while surfing and found this recipe. The resulting joint was soft as butter, and the crackling was everything it ought to be. Probably more.

So here it is:

Danny's Slow Roast Belly of Pork to Die For

INGREDIENTS
1 kilo pork belly joint
6 large sage leaves
3 small cloves of garlic
Salt
Pepper
Kettle of boiling water
Pieced of silver foil large enough to make nest around meat

METHOD

1. Remove pork from fridge several hours before cooking so it reach room temperature. I personally remove mine first thing in the morning for Sunday lunch - as we have marauding cats I pop it into the microwave with the door shut.
2. Score skin in a diamond pattern (smile nicely at your butcher or make sure you have a VERY sharp knife. And remember to NOT score down to the meat - just to the layer of fat beneath the skin)
3. Boil kettle of water and carefully pour over skin side - I used a cooling rack for the meat so I don't boil my fingers
4. Dry meat off with kitchen towel
5. Turn skin side DOWN
6. Finely chop garlic
7. Rub sage leaves into small pieces (I varied here from original recipe as they suggest rosemary)
8. Rub garlic and sage into underside of joint
9. Press foil over the belly to make sure that the herbs will not shift
10. Turn the whole lot over, crackling side up, and form the foil into a nest
11. Leave the crackling exposed
12. Pop into roasting tin
13. Roast at gas mark 4 for 3 hours and then turn down to gas mark 3 for another hour
    If roasting potatoes, pop them in (having part boiled them) when turning oven down
14. When time is up remove meat and bump up oven to gas mark 7
15. Remove crackling from joint and put back into oven for 20 minutes (alongside potatoes)
16. Serve (with Danestream apple sauce naturally)

I don't know if it was this recipe that made the pork so tender and tasty or if my snobbery is misplaced, but I am crediting the recipe. Way to go Danny!

CSSM Fish Pie

Many, many years ago when the world was young (OK, a bit younger) I used to spend a couple of weeks every summer in Walton on the Naze acting as cook on a CSSM (Children's Special Service Mission - now known as Scripture Union beach missions). The trick was to feed a team of around 20, three times a day, on a rather tight budget. There was a cookbook full of useful recipes passed down to every new cook and you could add your own to be passed on in time. This is one recipe that I found in that book that I scaled down and still use from time to time. Easy, quick and surprisingly good.

CSSM Fish Pie
Serves 4-6

INGREDIENTS
400 grams white fish - whatever is cheapest at the time
1 tin Batchellors Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup 295 grams
1 tin peeled tomatoes 400 grams
Instand mashed potatoes 176 gram pack
80 grams cheddar cheese, grated
2 packs of cheese and onions crisps
Butter
Salt
Pepper

METHOD

1. Grease ovenproof dish with butter
2. Cut fish into bite size chunks and lay on bottom of dish
3. Season
4. Open tin of tomatoes and pour over fish
5. Add soup (DO NOT ADD WATER OR MILK)
6. Add cheese
7. Make up instant potato and add knob of butter
8. Spread potato over dish
9. Smash up crisps into small pieces and sprinkle over top
10. bake on gas mark 6 for 35 mins or until crisps are dark golden brown
11. Serve

As it cooks the soup, tomato and cheese will combine into a rich sauce and the crisps add a great savoury crunch. If you are feeling luxurious you can add a few prawns but this is so tasty it really doesn't need them so you can give the prawns to your favourite feline. OK, my cat MADE me add that!

Pan's Prawns

About 20 years ago there used to be a Chinese restaurant round the corner from Holborn station - long gone regretfully. It was relatively inexpensive but had many dishes I had never seen before (or since).

My two faves were a dish with broad beans (which I really cannot stand in any other way but have never managed to duplicate) and this prawn concoction which is pretty easy even for somebody as reluctant to deep fry as I am (and it's not on health grounds - I nearly started a kitchen fire many, many years ago and have been pretty much terrified to by the concept ever since).

For this, I scale the deep frying experience down into an un-scary experience I can go through without hyperventilation kicking in.

I remember the restaurant being called Pan's, but others recall different names. But hey, this is my blog so I'm going with the name I remember. (If you know what the restuarant was REALLY called, do let me know - it was under the strange arch where the office building goes over the road)


Pan's Prawns

INGREDIENTS

Prawns - about 6-8 king prawns per person
1 egg
Cornflour
Ginger
Garlic
Honey
Sesame seeds

METHOD

1. Finely slice one garlic clove per person
2. Chop ginger into small pieces
3. Break egg into bowl and beat
4. Put cornflour into second bowl
5. Dip prawns into egg and the roll around in cornflour to coat thoroughly
6. Using the smallest saucepan available to you, put 2" of oil into the bottom (OK, if you are happy deep frying in a proper pan, go ahead)
7. When oil is hot place garlic and ginger into pan
8. Once the 'chips' are golden brown remove with a slotted spoon and place onto kitchen towel to drain any remaining oil
9. Fry the floured prawns until coating is light golden brown (about 3 mins) and add to kitchen towel
10. Once all prawns are cooked, remove oil from heat (OK, I'm paranoid)
11. Place prawns onto serving dish and drizzle honey over the top
12. Sprinkle sesame seeds over prawns and honey then add crispy ginger and garlic to top
13. Serve with rice

In it's original form, it was served nestled into a couple of leaves of iceberg lettuce - I must admit that I only serve it that way for a party - this tends to be served dished up on plates to prevent unseemly violence over that last prawn...